Kinship Care Story: Chad

When Chad received a phone call from his daughter, who struggles with substance use disorder, asking him to pick up her son from a courthouse, his life changed forever. Chad's young grandson had been in the custody of his ex-wife, who had just passed away. Without skipping a beat, Chad took guardianship of the little boy.

"I picked him up with just the clothes on his back and a handful of diapers," says Chad. "The next morning, I got a visit from an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services, who let me know that I needed to seek permanent guardianship.

"People from my job came together to give me a crib and help me with toys and clothes. We started a new life. I do my best to provide stability for him. We lived in the same place for 2.5 years, and when I changed jobs, I had to move to my parent's house for eight months. We then moved to Franklin and are making some adjustments, like finding the right childcare and extracurricular activities, like the karate you helped us with."

Step Up Parents was happy to help Chad pay for karate classes for his grandson. We applaud him for all he does to provide his grandson with a safe and loving environment in which to grow up.